Cruises can feel like an incredible deal at first glance.

Your room, food, entertainment, and transportation are all bundled into one price… which makes it seem like everything is covered.

But once you’re onboard, you start to notice there are a lot of small ways to spend money.

Imagine a vacation that’s not only transformative for you but helps open doors for the local women you meet along the way. That’s what Intrepid’s new Women’s Expeditions in Peru, Cambodia and Bhutan are all about.

Designed specifically for women travellers, these trips offer immersive local experiences that support women-run and owned businesses in each destination. With an expert local leader out front, you could trek the lesser-known Chinchero to Urquillos route in the Peruvian Andes alongside an all-female crew, dive into Cambodia’s street food scene on a women-run tuk tuk tour, or unwind with a traditional herbal hot stone bath at a women-owned farmhouse in Bhutan.

First launched in 2018, Intrepid’s Women’s Expedition range is designed to break down barriers, foster discussion and create meaningful connections for travellers and locals alike.

Find your next adventure

One of the biggest ones is drink packages. They’re usually presented as a way to “save money,” but whether they actually do depends on how much you realistically drink. It’s easy to overestimate before your trip and then feel like you need to get your money’s worth once you’re there.

On our last cruise on Virgin Voyages Valiant Lady, the drink prices ranged from $10-$15 USD, beer was $7-$9 USD and wine by the glass around $9-14 USD. They didn’t have drink packages but instead a bar tab that you would prepay for and usually get a small bonus (10%-15% extra tab). The one issue with this tab is that if you don’t use it before the end of your cruise, you lose that money. We didn’t feel this was really worth it (since we don’t drink much) and decided to just purchase the drinks a la carte.

Excursions are another area. Booking through the cruise line is convenient and feels safer, but it’s often more expensive than booking independently. You’re paying for that extra layer of coordination.

This is also where a lot of people end up buying things last minute. For example, if you’re heading off the ship and suddenly realize you don’t have a safe way to carry your phone, cards, or cash near water, you’re more likely to buy something onboard at a higher price. A simple waterproof phone pouch like this one (easy to grab ahead of time on Amazon) is one of those small things that can save you money and stress once you’re there.

On most cruise lines you will see photographers everywhere, especially on formal nights or when you’re getting on and off the ship. There’s no pressure to buy, but once you see a really nice photo of yourself on vacation…it’s tempting.

Specialty dining works the same way. The main dining room and buffet are already included, but upgraded restaurants are positioned to feel more exclusive. It’s not that the included food isn’t good, it’s just that the upgrade feels like a better experience.

Wi-Fi is another big one. It’s rarely included, and once you realize how much you want to check in with people back home (or just scroll for a bit), it becomes an easy add-on.

None of this is necessarily a bad thing.

Cruise lines keep base fares competitive, then offer optional extras so people can customize their trip.

The key is just being aware of it before you go.

Most of these choices don’t feel like spending at all. They feel like small upgrades, things that just make the trip better. That’s what makes them so easy to say yes to, and so easy to underestimate.

Until next week,

Tara

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